R. R. Reynolds

R. R. Reynolds

R. R. Reynolds was born in Phoenix, Arizona, but grew up on the beaches of Santa Monica, California. Eventually the polders of the Netherlands beckoned him to live below sea level. After stints working in Denmark, India, and Nepal, he ended up living a snowball's throw from the Arctic Circle in northern Sweden. Upon returning to the United States, he enjoyed ten years defrosting under the south Florida sunshine. Lilapsophobia drove him to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he found his new home and life as a certified Green Bay Packers-loving, Badger-rooting, brat-eating Wisconsin Cheesehead.

This rousing
sequel to Reynolds’ debut novel (Masters’
Mysterium: Wisconsin Dells, 2013) continues a paranormal fantasy saga chronicling
the epic battle between angels and demons and the humans entangled in their
war.

After what happened in Wisconsin Dells,
the world now knows of the existence of angels and demons. With the ladder (the
angels’ means of traveling to and from Earth) in Wisconsin Dells destroyed, the
primary mission for the humans involved in the angels’ plight—like former
waitress Trudy Masters and her husband, Gavin, who now has the ability to
heal others with his touch—is to somehow quietly relocate an entire town to a
new location: Calamity, Nevada, 30 miles outside of Sin City. But setting up a
ladder in Calamityproves to be a
dangerous venture, especially when a group of Vegas demons attempts to
manipulate the situation to its advantage. The already volatile situation
becomes even more complicated when Trudy’s father—who owns the museum of
oddities known as Masters’ Mysterium—literally makes a deal with the devil.
This saga is simply extraordinary on several levels. Reynolds takes the
angels-vs.-demons genre—one filled with mind-numbing stereotypes and
clichés—and creates a profound new mythos. His vision is unique, his characters
well-developed, the pacing relentless. It’s paranormal fantasy, yes, but that
shouldn’t dissuade readers disinterested in the genre. Powered by utterly
readable writing and a diverse cast of characters for whom readers will
undoubtedly cheer, this novel isn’t so much about angels and demons as it is
about the people ensnared in the conflict and their own intimate
journeys of self-discovery.

Like Charlaine Harris’ Midnight, Texas saga this is
cutting-edge genre fiction that will appeal to genre fans as well as mainstream
fiction readers. It’s a storytelling tour de force no matter the
categorization.

This extraordinary work of paranormal fantasy—a debut, no less—revolves largely around the morally bankrupt owner of a museum of oddities who attempts to reinvigorate his flagging business by capturing the Hodag, a legendary creature believed to inhabit the woodlands of northern Wisconsin.

The Rev. Jay Masters is a scumbag. A former faith healer, he currently owns Masters’ Mysterium—“a collection of every oddity, rumor, hearsay, improbable event, and conundrum created by nature or man”—a failing business in Wisconsin Dells that’s being overshadowed by nearby amusement and water parks. With few options left, he hires three hillbilly hunters to go into northern Wisconsin and trap a mysterious beast that has been rumored to be killing unwary travelers. But when two of the hunters end up ripped apart, the sole survivor ranting about aliens and monsters, Masters decides to visit the remote town of Creekside himself. There, he meets the town’s strange residents, including his 21-year-old daughter, Trudy, a waitress at the unfortunately named Cluck and Grunt restaurant; she’s not exactly happy to meet him for the first time. The mythical beast turns out to be a demon, and Masters and his daughter soon become entangled in a supernatural war between seraphic beings and the forces of evil. But this isn’t run-of-the-mill paranormal fantasy with angels. The characters are extremely well-developed, the narrative is intelligent and at times highly humorous, the storyline is original and engaging, and the religious aspects are decidedly understated. The first installment of a series, this is paranormal fantasy done right: a unique, relentlessly entertaining page-turner that will appeal to a wide range of readers. Fortunately, there’s more to come.

One of the best paranormal fantasy releases of this year—a self-publishing benchmark.

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